Update for February 12  February 18, 2007

Character performer arrested for possession of child porn

A 20-year-old cast member who portrayed the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast) and Goofy was arrested late Thursday on 51 felony counts of possession of child pornography. Matthew Wendland's roommates had seen images through the doorway of his bedroom and alerted police. Orange County deputies approached him at work and he agreed to accompany them to his home. Wendland reportedly admitted to possession of the images, and a search of his room turned up about a dozen printed computer pictures of children performing sex acts with over 1,000 more images on a CD-ROM disk in his closet.

Reportedly, the 6-foot-4, 150-pound actor had images of children of both sexes as young as 3, ranging all the way up to adults. Sex Crimes Sgt. Rich Mankewich told reporters that Wendland "doesn't see the difference between a naked 8-year-old and an 18-year-old woman." Doctors will examine other photos to determine the ages of other children depicted in the images, after which more charges may be filed. The review will also include additional hard drives recovered during the search.

Wendland apparently downloaded all of the images off of the Internet, and there is no indication that he acted on any impulses other than viewing the images. Disney performs background checks on all employees, but he had no record of any criminal behavior when he was hired last July. No complaints had been filed against him at the park, according to Disney, though he has now been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the charges.

Wendland was released on $8,500 bond on Friday after spending the night in the Orange County Jail.

Rasulo offers a peak at "blue-sky" ideas

In an address to Disney investors last Wednesday night, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo gave a glimpse into what the future might hold for Disney's theme parks division. Rasulo started by talking about expanding the existing businesses with "investment in exciting new attractions and entertainment, innovative new services, and consumer-focused pricing" and entering emerging international markets such as the Asian travel market, where the Chinese market is expanding at an enormous rate. He then moved on to how Walt Disney Parks & Resorts would broaden its footprint in the travel & leisure market.

He stated that he was going to "pull back the curtain and share some of the ideas our business team and Imagineers are thinking about" while noting that all ideas discussed were in the "blue-sky" stage (the brainstorming phase of planning where anything goes and everything might or might not see the light of day). While he noted that "clearly, we're not going to do all of them, or maybe even any of them", Rasulo painted an intriguing portrait of the future might hold for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

Disney's flagship hotels at each of its resorts were over 90 percent occupancy at rates of $350 per night and up, giving an indication that establishing Disney-branded hotels in other locations might be a profitable enterprise. Since the average theme park visitor returns every four years, this would give them a chance to have a closer, shorter, more convenient Disney resort experience. These could be regional resort properties located outside of metro areas, urban hotels in major family tourism destination cities, or destination resorts in exotic locations or boutique-branded hotels at various price points.

With the success of the two Downtown Disney retail, dining & entertainment districts, Disney has been considering creating high-quality centers in downtown areas of major cities, either as the master planner or as the lead tenant. They hope that this would create another entertainment destination.

Disney is also considering the creation of a unique brand of water park in new markets, including the possibility of indoor parks.

Finally, Disney is also considering the creation of smaller, deeply immersive "niche parks" that would provide a more intimate setting, high-end immersive theme park entertainment, more interactive shows, more one-on-one experiences and unique attractions for an "all-inclusive admission pricing that would be several times what our guests pay today." These parks could fit perfectly either into already-existing markets or even new markets.

In speaking later about the Disney Cruise Line, specifically as it related to the long-anticipated third ship, Rasulo said, "We have ongoing contact with the shipyards. If we can generate superior returns based, in part, on contract terms and pricing, then we'll pull the trigger."

The Disney Vacation Club also gained some notice as a money-generator, with Rasulo stating that Disney had "already recouped the entire investment for Saratoga Springs four months before the third phase ever opened." The fact that members are trading points for access to other destinations like Mexico, Hawaii or the Caribbean is helping Disney to identify potential off-property locations for expansion of the timeshare portfolio. Rasulo stated that the DVC will expand both at Walt Disney World and around the world.

Adventures by Disney has already sold out half of its trips for the 2007 season. Noting that the infrastructure is easily expandable, Rasulo reported that the concept would be well-positioned to expand to include international tourists visiting the U.S. and looking for guided tours.

Rasulo summed up by noting that "the possibilities to bring Disney entertainment to our guests around the world are almost endless. By continuing the entertainment revolution that Walt started 50 years ago, you can see why we believe the potential for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts is truly limitless."

While all of this sounds really intriguing, remember that this is all blue-sky stuff. In fact, it's quite possible that all of these were floated to put the idea out onto the Internet to allow Disney fans to discuss them and to help Disney figure out which ideas will gain traction in the community and which will meet with stiff opposition. Join our discussion here.

Get your MousePlanet swag!

The MousePlanet.com store is now open for business ( link)! You can get shirts, mugs, hats and even a Teddy Bear! Check it out and show your MousePlanet pride! Now you can show everybody in the parks what site you read!

Registration for "The Goofy" closed

When last week's Park Update was published on Monday morning, Goofy's Race-and-a-Half Challenge for 2008 was 85 percent full. By late Monday night (when we recorded the MouseStation podcast), that number had jumped to 95 percent. The next morning, it was sold out. If you had hoped to participate, your chance to sign up through Disney has now passed. However, there may be some slots that were grabbed by fund-raising groups, such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. You may want to check around to see if there are any groups with unclaimed slots in the Goofy if you really want to do it. Be aware, though, that you will be expected to raise money for the team.

Fourth "Indy" movie now scheduled; will it spur attraction renovations?

If anything is going to kick-start either refurbishment of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular or spur construction of an Indy-based ride at the Disney-MGM Studios or elsewhere at Walt Disney World, this would be it. There is now a release date for the fourth installment of the popular film series starring Harrison Ford. Producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg have finally completed the script, and filming starts in June for a May 22, 2008 release date.

The stunt show debuted in 1989, at around the same time as the third and most recent movie in the series was released. The show, however, featured stunts based on scenes from the first movie, which was released in 1981.

Of course, Star Tours still has not been updated either, and Lucas had actually announced two years ago that work was underway on upgrading that LucasFilm/Walt Disney Imagineering joint venture.

Menus wanted!

Want to help MousePlanet upgrade our park guides? We're looking to add menu information for all restaurants to our Walt Disney World Park Guide (link). Send photos or scans of menus (no fair copying from other web sites) to menus@mouseplanet.com ( link). Please note that there is a 5MB limit on total attachments in a single email.

A personal appeal, for the second year

I'm spending my birthday this year walking to raise money for the March of Dimes again. Last year, through the generosity of friends, family, co-workers and MousePlanet readers, we managed to raise $2,525 in just four weeks. This year, let's beat that. We're starting much earlier this year, so let's see if we can raise $4,000. I think we can. For more information, or to donate, go here. If you'd rather donate to a different cause, but keep your donation within the Disney Internet community, Deb Wills is raising money to fight breast cancer here, and Lou Mongello is raising money for the Starlight Starbright Foundation here.

Quick takes

According to the Market Metrix Hospitality Index results for last year, based on 140,000 consumer interviews conducted from January through December 2006, Walt Disney World Resorts received the highest ranking in the Upper Upscale Hotels category, and the Disney Vacation Club took the top spot in the Timeshare Accommodations category.

Turtle Talk with Crush  closes January 29  Febuary 16 while it is moved to the remaining former pre-show theater at Seas pavilion. The Find Nemo display pod will become the queue area for this new location and the exhibit may be relocated to the old Turtle Talk theater location.

El Rio del Tiempo  is closed for refurbishment through April 1, including the addition of a Three Caballeros-themed overlay.

All-Star Movies Resort  the Fantasia pool is closed for an extensive rehab through February 18. All-Star Movies guests can use the "quiet" pools as well as the main pools at the other All-Star resorts.

All-Star Music Resort  Conversion of Calypso buildings to Family Suites continues. All work had been expected to be completed by October 13, but that date has not been met. All buildings not containing Family Suites will be renovated between January and June.

Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa  Phase I's four buildings and Phase II's eight units are complete, Construction on the six buildings of Phase III is underway, with all six units expected to be completed in late 2007. The new buildings will comprise two additional sections, to be called The Carousel and The Grandstand. The two buildings in The Carousel have been completed, and the four in The Grandstand are well underway.

Wilderness Lodge  The Silver Springs feature pool and hot tub closes from January 29 through March 2. The children's pool will closed on February 12 and also reopen on March 2.

Pirates of the Caribbean Adventures on the Seven Seas Lagoon (link). May 21-24. Disneyland may get the movie premiere, but Walt Disney World gets a three-day, multi-tiered event on open water. Details to be announced on December 20.

June 2007

Star Wars Weekends (link). June 124. The popular event returns to the Studios in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars film.

July 2007

Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp (link). Late July  Mid-Aug. The Bucs return to Disney for another year's training camp.

FL resident and AP room rates through February 14

Disney has announced room-only discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida Residents for January through mid-February.

Room-only discounts are available for Annual Passholders and Florida residents from January 1 through February 14. Discounts are $23 off per night at Value resorts, $46 per night at Moderate resorts and $80 per night at Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts. These rates can be booked up to the night of arrival, depending on availability. Discounts are priced off of rack rate. To book the rates, call Disney directly or your travel agent (Small World Vacations is MousePlanet's preferred travel agency) and request booking code FCC (Passholders) or BRL (Florida residents).

Florida resident and AP room rates through March 30

Disney has announced room-only discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida Residents for mid-February through the end of March. Room-only discounts are available for Annual Passholders and Florida residents for most night from February 15 through March 30. Discounts are up to $40 off per night at Value resorts, $61 off per night at Moderate resorts and $131 off per night at Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts. These rates can be booked up to the night of arrival, depending on availability. Discounts are priced off of rack rate. To book the rates, call Disney directly or your travel agent (Small World Vacations is MousePlanet's preferred travel agency) and request booking code FCR (Passholders) or FCT (Florida residents).

Passholders and Florida Residents get six months' admission to Pleasure Island for the cost of one night

From January 1 through March 31 of this year, Annual Passholders and Florida residents can purchase a multi-club Pleasure Island ticket for the regular price of $21.95 (plus tax) and get unlimited visits through June 30. Guests must be over 21 years of age to purchase the tickets, and proof of age, proof of an annual pass or Florida residency, and a valid photo ID are required at the Pleasure Island box office when purchasing a ticket or redeeming a certificate from an online purchase. The offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, and is not valid for single-club tickets. Guests must be 21 years of age to enter any of the dance clubs (basically anything other than the Adventurer's Club and the Comedy Warehouse), and must show proof of age at the time of entry.

Magic Your Way ticket price guide

Walt Disney World's entire ticket price structure changed as of January 2, 2005, to the new Magic Your Way passes, and prices increased on January 1, 2006, and again on August 6, 2006. Advance purchase discounts are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least 4 days, with higher discounts on those tickets with both options. Prices do not include 6.5% Florida sales tax.

Mark (@MPMark) is a veteran of dozens of trips to Walt Disney World starting in 1972, with a few Disneyland trips thrown in for good measure. As a Disney stockholder and a Disney Vacation Club member, Mark is always in touch with what's going on with The Mouse. Mark serves as MousePlanet's Walt Disney World content coordinator. Mark is a senior information technology manager working for the State of New York. He lives in the suburbs outside Albany, New York, with his wife and son.

MousePlanet® is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews, and guides primarily about the theme park resorts of the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please call destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.